


Raids of the Heart

by martini_mixer



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Historical Inaccuracy, Vikings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-24 00:21:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18158990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martini_mixer/pseuds/martini_mixer
Summary: Returning from a raid, Rey asks for something she’s never wanted before - a slave. But how well does he take to her and this new way of life? And how does he reconcile what he thought he knew of the savages that captured him, with the pretty shield-maiden who frees him and shows him that not everything is as it seems?





	Raids of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Everything may not be historically accurate, but this is from a deep love of Norse mythology and the Viking era, and binge-watching Vikings to make all of that resurface.
> 
> This was originally published November 2018 as part of the Reylo Charity Anthology.

The cheers from the shore are audible even with the waves splashing against the boat, and she smiles to herself despite the exhaustion she feels after this raid - it had been a long, arduous journey, and the battles had been rough, but they triumphed. Hopping out to help push the ship ashore, several others wade in to help pull the extra weight, and finally they are able to tie it down. Climbing back in, she grabs two or three of the ropes with their remaining slaves and a bag of gold, hauling them all with her as she wades through the shallows to the great hall. Everyone seems eager to get back to their homes and wash off the journey, so it’s a quiet affair despite the pats on the back and others rushing to help empty their ship of their findings.

 

Everything is piled in the middle of the room, sacks spilling onto the ground, chests turned onto their sides to expose as much as possible, and the golds and silvers sparkle in the firelight. Their earl seems pleased, especially with the addition of several slaves that had managed the journey, although she eyes the one she wants speculatively - he’s larger than most of the men they had brought back, dark haired, and an angry slash across his face from her own sword. They all get to take something with them - it’s a very good haul for them - and when her name gets called, she walks forward and kneels down respectfully before lifting her head.

 

“I would like one of the slaves, my lord.”

 

“A slave?” The man on the dais above her rubs his chin thoughtfully, looking over her before he glances at the fierce blonde to his immediate left, who merely smiles at him. “You have managed this long without one, why do you wish to have one now?”

 

“My homestead is in need of some repairs, and a slave would be a great assistance to me before winter.”

 

He is quiet a few more moments before he nods, once. “You never take what isn’t offered to you, so you may have your pick this time.” 

 

“Thank you, my lord.” She bows her head again before rising to her feet and walking over to where they’ve been tied to the ground and forced to sit. She pretends, if only for a few moments, to consider which one she wants, finally taking the rope of the one she’s had her eye on since the battle and jerks the rope free, tugging him to his feet. He towers over her and she merely keeps her gaze even as his eyes meet hers. 

 

Leading him out of the hall, she slips her shield and her weapons back where they belong on her person, pausing to tug the rope down to get him to stoop, and she removes the rope from his neck, attaching it instead where his hands are bound. “Come _. _ ” The word sounds strange from her mouth, but he follows in the darkness even as she leads him on the long trail back to her home.

 

He stumbles a few times and she waits patiently for him to get to his feet - if she’d thought ahead, she would have grabbed a torch, but she’s traveled this path so many times that she knows it with her eyes closed. No matter, if he does not know the way back, it will be that much harder for him to escape.

 

Finally, she pushes the door to her home open, sitting him at the small table in the middle of the room before walking to the fireplace to get a fire going, removing her weapons in a long-familiar routine. Surprise doesn’t begin to cover how she feels that he’s still sitting there, dark eyes following her every movement, but she fetches rainwater from a barrel in her workshop - an unfortunate hole in the roof, but it’s convenient for this purpose - before returning to him and grabbing a clean rag, dipping it into the bowl as she pulls a seat up close to him. He recoils from her and she purses her lips before tugging him closer with a hand fisted in his clothes.

 

“Stop.” She wrings the rag out carefully before reaching for his face, slower this time, and he watches her before she gently dabs at the wound. He hisses softly and her gaze drops to his full lips, pausing in her movements. “What is your name?” Maybe learning more about this curious man who would not fight her, only defending himself from her blows, would serve as a distraction for him. 

 

“Ben. How do you know English?”

 

“I have been to your land many times, Ben.” She rinses the cloth and gingerly scrubs at some of the caked-on blood along his neck - this would need some medicine, but maybe after he cleaned himself. “Will you run if I untie you?”

 

“Only if you try to cut my face open again.”

 

“I plan on fixing your face, but I was going to ask if you would like to bathe. I don’t want to waste medicine if you plan on washing it off.”

 

“You would let me bathe?”

 

“I’m not barbaric. I would like to remove the blood, dirt, and salt from my body, and I assume you would like to do the same?”

 

A wordless nod is all she gets, so she stands and motions for him to follow her, grabbing a plain, woven dress to change into. She grabs his bound wrists, tugging at the knot to loosen the rope before leading him into her backyard. “I’m afraid I have nothing but a hot spring, but it is my favorite thing about my land.” Smiling at the memory, she was surprised to find this plot of land untouched when she was scouting for a place to build a home. “I have nothing that will fit you, but at least you might feel cleaner.” From the back wall of the house, she grabs two bars of soap and two long cloths to dry themselves, passing him half.  Setting hers on the rocks near the spring before disrobing, she thinks nothing of her own nudity - the spring is plenty big enough for the two of them. Slipping into the steaming water, she looks up to see Ben clutching the items with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. 

 

“Are you going to bathe or just stand there?”

 

His whole face is red when he turns his back to her, disrobing himself mechanically before lowering himself into the water on the opposite side of where she’d built the rocks up. She hums to herself as she grabs her bar of soap, washing up quickly and rinsing before allowing herself to soak for a few minutes before a thought occurs to her.

 

“Are you embarrassed?”

 

“Very.” His words are muffled before he dunks his head under water to rinse out his hair, standing again, and she smiles at his physique appreciatively. 

 

“I would have to keep an eye on you regardless - I can’t have you running off where I can’t protect you. I thought it might be easier if we were both bathing.” 

 

“Where I come from, nudity is not to be shared unless it’s between a man and his wife.”

 

“We are not there, now are we? Bodies are a natural thing. If I can trust you won’t run away, you may bathe by yourself next time.”

 

“I am your captive, am I not?”

 

“They will think so, but I don’t want to have to keep you tied up. I plan to free you.” She lifts herself out of the water, grabbing the cloth to dry herself before slipping on the simple dress she’d brought out. 

 

“I was stolen from my home with no way to get back. Where would I go?”

 

“You may roam freely on my land, but know if you wander, you will likely be killed or captured by whoever finds you.”

 

She turns her back on him to head into her home before she hears him splashing and climbing out of the hot water. He comes back, barefoot, shirtless, and in his old pants, but he’s drying his hair. “And what do I call you?”

 

“My name is Ragna.” He repeats her name, and it sounds awkward coming from him, his mouth not forming the sounds correctly. “Maybe Rey is easier for you?”

 

“Rey, then, if you don’t mind.”

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“I’m not to waste away?”

 

“Must I repeat myself? You are my guest.” She pulls some bread and cheese from what’s left of her stores, passing him a small knife while she finds some smoked venison for them to eat. She joins him with her own knife, cutting some of the cheese for herself before speaking around a mouthful. “We will have to go into town tomorrow, I have enough for breakfast and that’s it.” Ben is chewing his food slowly and she realizes belatedly that he’s probably used to hot, fresh meals. But after a raid, this is normal - leftovers and stored foods, even if the bread is a little stale. 

 

Even while she chews on her bread, she pulls some of the furs she has in storage out, shaking them out idly before laying them by the fire. She has no cot to give him, but he could do worse than some blankets by the fire. She grabs the honey mixture she uses on her own wounds, walking back over to him to dab it gently on his face. He stops chewing long enough to let her, and she smiles at him slightly before she announces she is going to sleep, it was a long journey and she wishes to rest. Climbing into her bed and slipping under the furs, it doesn’t take her long to drift to sleep.

 

Rey is roused a few hours later by the sound of chattering teeth, and she sits up in bed - it is quite dark and has cooled off significantly, and she realizes Ben probably didn’t add any wood to the fire to keep it going. Sighing, she slips out from between the blankets, shivering herself as the cold air hits her, and walks out the back door of her home to bring in another bundle of wood to the hearth in the middle of her home. Restarting the fire takes no time for her, and she looks over at where Ben is lying down, curled up under the furs and shivering miserably as he watches her.

 

“Get in my bed if you want to get warm. I won’t have you freezing to death.” She says nothing further, climbing back under the furs herself, but she can see him sitting up in the light of the fire. 

 

“Is that appropriate?”

 

“I do not wish to drag your body out in the morning.” She figures that’s a safe enough answer for him and waits patiently while he deliberates. Her eyes are starting to close when she feels the furs lift up on her other side and he slips under them, careful not to touch her, but even she can tell his shivers lessen almost immediately. He’s quiet a few moments, and she can tell he’s soaking up the residual warmth of her bed before he speaks again.

 

“Why did you not kill me when you had the chance?”

 

“You intrigued me. You only defended yourself against me, never trying to kill me once. When we bound you for capture, you didn’t panic and scream and cry, you merely accepted your fate with a dignity we don’t usually see.” Turning over in bed to look at him, she smiles, looking at him coyly through her lashes. “And maybe I find you attractive, and that would have been a waste to kill you.”

 

It’s hard to tell in the low light of the fire, but she thinks she sees color bloom over his cheeks. She’s too tired to pursue his reaction though, so she closes her eyes and goes back to sleep like it was all a dream that she got her tall, dark, and brooding man into her bed under the guise of warming up.

 

She wakes at her normal time, despite how tired she was from her journey, when the sun’s light filters through and leaves her small home awash in soft light. She feels…heavy. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Rey turns her head to see the cause and finds then man she’d brought home curled against her, arm thrown across her midsection and face buried in the space between her neck and shoulder. With a soft smile, she reaches a hand up to brush some of his hair back, noticing the cut on his face already looks less angry than it did yesterday after that thorough cleaning and her homemade salve.

 

No matter, they have chores to do and have to get everything together for their trip back to the village. With that in mind, she lifts her leg and uses her foot to flip the furs down to the foot of the bed, the cool morning air hitting their exposed bodies like an ice bath. Ben startles awake, looking at her with a confused expression before scrambling away from her, and she smirks at him while she gets out of bed. “Come, we have much to do today.”

 

With a grumble, he sits up and runs a hand through his hair - mussed and quite a bit curlier than it had been on their journey back - and she merely slips on her boots and pulls a thicker woolen tunic on over her simple dress before gathering the furs from her bed and bringing them to the outside line she’d strung up to air them out. He slips on his shirt and jacket from the journey, having hung them out to dry overnight, and she smiles at his forethought to rinse his clothes.

 

“We have eggs to collect.” She passes him a basket and he follows her obediently, although apparently still sleepy as he watches with confusion as she goes to all of her hens’ favorite hiding places, setting the eggs she finds gingerly in the basket. They repeat this process a few times and she promises him a heartier lunch when she passes him an apple and a chunk of bread - his stomach growling is distracting to her, and she is usually fine with a light meal until supper. Laden down with eggs, and eventually vegetables and berries as the morning progresses, she bundles what she plans on trading. Rey passes him the last chunk of cheese she has left while she starts making the dough they can set to bake into bread while they’re in the village trading. He watches her with rapt fascination and she looks over at him, quirking a brow.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’ve just never seen anyone do all this.”

 

“Not all of us are highborn like you, but we do a lot of trading to make sure everyone can make it through the winter. I’ve got a lot of edible roots out here, so I trade a lot of those, and this time of year is full of apples and late berries. There’s a lot of large game that comes through here in the winter as well.. Plus now I have to trade for cloth to make you some warmer clothes.”

 

“You asked for me - “ Ben starts to protest and Rey shakes her head.

 

“I have more than enough eggs.”

 

He nods and resumes watching her and she gestures for him to come over with a brief nod of her head. “Come, I’ll show you how to knead the bread.” She waits for him to join her before repeating the gesture, watching as he does it and smiling. “See, not so hard. Do that with the next two I make and we’ll be able to get to the village and back before dark.” 

 

Despite the circumstances, the silence is companionable, Rey humming idly and Ben watching her grinding the grains into a fine powder, mixing the rest of the ingredients until it starts to turn into dough, which she then passes to him. She stokes the fire on the far side of the room, where she keeps her kettle for stew, plus the flat stone she uses for making bread, and sets the loaves up there carefully. 

 

She gathers the wrapped bundles of produce and brings them out to the cart, whistling loudly for her horse to make his way to the cart, and this, at least, Ben knows how to help with, strapping the harness and the bridle on with a practiced ease she wasn’t sure she’d see from him. She hops up into the cart, situating herself before patting the seat for him to join her. 

 

Pulling alongside one of the buildings that’s got sheets of woven wool and linen in front of it, she knocks on the door with a whole basket of eggs with a smile. A woman answers with a smile and surprised look to see Ben looming behind her, but accepts the whole basket and passes Rey a few items that she then passes to Ben - everything looks broken or in need of repair, and Rey gets a few sheets of basic fabrics as well. She assembles everything in the cart accordingly, and the process is repeated in several locations.

 

During one such visit, Ben witnesses a bound man being beaten and yelled at, and while he doesn’t understand what’s being said, he realizes just how fortunate he is. He’s fully dressed, whereas the other man is in threadbare pants, with a rope still around his neck. He draws a little closer to Rey when she passes him items, and while she shoots him a questioning look, she doesn’t ask why until they’re finally on their way back. Her cart is loaded with food and fabric and broken things and until they’re out of sight of the rest of the village, he stays silent. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

“What for? I should be thanking you. Nobody could stop talking about how you were willing to stay with me, despite me freeing you.” Smiling brightly, she nudges him with her elbow. The smile he gives her in return makes her heart flutter and she ducks her head. Rey really can’t explain why she feels so drawn to this man, this stranger from another land, but she wasn’t lying when she told him she found him intriguing. And attractive in a different sort of way than she is used to, which is far from a bad thing.

 

The trek back is slow, far slower than she would prefer, but they still make it back before dark, and she hops off the cart to start unloading it, asking Ben to set the horse out and give him some feed. He nods, disappearing as she starts bringing the items she traded off into either her house or her workshop attached to her home, and finds Ben staring at her. She tilts her head at him and he shakes his head, not revealing anything but instead helping her and just letting her point him in the right direction. It’s only as she sorts things in her workshop that he finally speaks again.

 

“Why did you free me?”

 

She walks back into the main room of her house to start making a stew for supper, pulling the bread loaves out carefully before cutting some of the root vegetables up. “Why is my reason so important to you?”

 

“I have nowhere to go. It’s not like I can sail one of those ships myself, it’s not like I can sneak away with the other slaves at night, and after what I witnessed today, there are worse places for me to be.” He moves to help her, watching what she’s doing carefully before she lets him take over, taking handfuls of the chopped pieces and adding them to the kettle over the fire.

 

“You’re quick to learn, quick to help. You made my choice easy. I figured if you couldn’t kill me while I was fighting you, you’d certainly be less likely to kill me in my home if I treated you with any sort of dignity. I have no interest in having a slave, just a companion.” Rey passes him some of the fresh meat while she starts tucking away the rest of the ingredients that can be stored, and he starts hacking away at it until she stops him and shows him how to cut the meat in a way that doesn’t involve so much stabbing and tearing. He’s pink all the way down to the collar of his shirt, and her eyes linger there for a moment before gathering some of the nets and the twine to repair them. 

 

“This is why people give you their broken things?”

 

“Yes, I repair for trade. As a lone woman, it’s difficult for me to do everything - normal households, the men go out and hunt and farm, and the women make bread and cook and spin wool and make fabric. I can’t do everything myself, so I have chickens, as they’re easy to tend, and I repair things for food stores.” She looks up from her work to see he’s stopped cutting the meat, and is instead staring at her with an expression akin to awe, and she smiles. “I’ve learned to be independent.”

 

“Then what do you need me for?”

 

“Some things, like roof repair and reinforcing for winter, are much easier with help.” She doesn’t add that she’s lonely - she’s fairly certain he’s figuring that out just from her daily routine. He grabs the cubed meat and puts it in the stew as well, stirring it with the ladle hanging nearby. 

 

“You seem well liked.”

 

“That’s what happens when you fix things that others might consider broken. Plus everyone needs eggs.”

 

“Well, more that I meant it seems like it would be easy for you to ask for help once in a while.”

 

“If you stay, I’m sure I will ask.” Rey looks up at him through her lashes just to watch him color a deep pink once again. She’s careful not to call him a slave - she freed him and now everyone knows it, even if they question her sanity - but she’s hoping before too long he might actually want to be here, with her. “You embarrass so easily, why is that?” As adorable as she finds it, she doesn’t want to discourage him from open conversation.

 

“Rey, you are,” he pauses, looking around as though looking for inspiration to find the right words, “very different than the women I am used to.”

 

“Is that such a bad thing, to be different?” A genuine curiosity, she stops mending the net, holding it on her lap as she looks over at him. 

 

“Where I’m from, Norsemen are talked about like wild savages, and in the heat of battle it’s easy to think that. We’ve never even heard of women fighting, and ours don’t - they do what you described, they make the breads, they keep the home, they stay with the children.”

 

“Are we so savage that it’s not possible to reconcile the two?”

 

“On the contrary, the only time you’re savage is in battle. This is very much the same as what our families do - tending farms, trading for goods, making meals together. I am just having a difficult time unlearning it.”

 

“I assure you, I can be very  _ savage _ if the occasion strikes.” Baring her teeth playfully, she stands, setting aside her mending as she draws closer to him, and she watches as he takes a few steps back from her. “But today is not that day. I’m going to have a bath, you’re welcome to join me. The stew has to cook for a while yet.”

 

Watching his throat bob, she smiles and heads behind the house to the spring again, grabbing the same supplies as the day before. Stripping down, she glances over her shoulder to see him pause in the doorway, and she throws a playful smirk over her shoulder before stepping into the hot spring and submerging herself. Unashamed of her open gaze, Rey settles back in the water to soak for a moment, eyeing the man in front of her as he removes his clothing as well, his back to her, and she can see the last light of day playing off the muscle there. Like before, he slips in with his back to her and follows her lead, submerging himself to soak.

 

“Ben, I’ve thought of something we can do so I can earn your trust in exchange for your help.” He wades closer to her, although remaining a safe distance away even as she grabs her bar of soap to start washing herself. “Languages.”

 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

 

“Exactly. Just because I can speak your language, I can’t read it. I struggle to find words. But if you’re to stay here, you need to learn to speak the language here - if I go on a raid, I don’t want you starving because you don’t know the words to ask for meat, after all.”

 

“You’ll be going on more raids?” Her gaze flicks up to his, and she’s surprised to find what looks to be concern in his expression - whether by the prospect of being left alone, or perhaps her putting herself in danger, she’s not sure. 

 

“I have to stay useful, and with winter coming, there are probably only a handful of raids left. I fight to earn my keep. When winter hits, our earl will provide grain from his storage to make sure we have enough bread to fill our bellies. I provide nothing but eggs, and while I can hunt, it’s not easy for me to carry back any large game. So if I go on all the raids he asks of me, he provides me with what I need to survive.” Lifting her arm out of the water, she shows him the twisted metal band around her wrist, and he reaches out tentatively, stepping a little closer to her.

 

“A … a bracelet?”

 

“If that’s what you call it, yes. I pledged my allegiance and received a ring for it. That’s what we use around here. Now, were this man to die and another take his place, or if someone should come through and kill him and take over, I can still pledge on this same ring. We take these seriously, and to bind yourself to serve another is a big deal, but it’s for the good of all of the village.”

 

His finger traces the band, careful not to touch her, and she stands, not liking him being quite so tall over her. That action exposes her breasts, and he immediately reddens and steps away again, turning his back to her. Climbing out of the water, she dries herself and slips on a clean dress, heading back inside to check on the stew and resume mending nets. He joins her again a few moments later, and she finishes tying a knot before looking up at him.

 

“Have you given thought to our discussion about our languages?” 

 

“I think it would be a good idea.”

 

“Great, we can do that over dinner. I have some,” she pauses, struggling to figure out the word for the object in mind. “Go open that trunk, there are things in there.” A nod of her head to the trunk in question, and he walks over, opening it carefully to find the assortment of various things she’s found on raids that are of no use to anyone.

 

“Books?”

 

“Is that what they’re called?”

 

“Yes.” Watching him pick some of the books up and open the covers so gingerly, his fingers caressing the pages in such a loving manner that it makes her blush slightly, and with a smile, he chooses one from the pile, walking over to the table to sit next to her. “This is actually a book of stories, meant for children-”

 

“I am not a child,” she interrupts and he holds a hand up.

 

“I’m aware. It’s a good place to start learning, though. These are rare, actually, this must have been from a king’s home.”

 

“Other than the big heavy book, yes, they all are. The other one I got where there were priests.”

 

Ben frowns a little but wisely chooses not to condemn her for robbing priests. “That is a bible, it’s written to be the word of God.”   
  


“That’s right, you only have one god, don’t you? How does that work?” Despite her curious tone, Ben shuts that conversation down quickly, not wanting to argue theology over dinner.

 

“Another time, maybe. Let’s get dinner and start learning.” The prospect of food has Rey bouncing up from her seat, grabbing the two bowls she has and dishing out some of the stew, bringing it over to the small table and unwrapping one of the loaves of bread she’d set there earlier and ripping it in half, passing some to him. 

 

“Stories for children, yes. Teach me.” His expression is unreadable, but there’s a hint of pink to his cheeks when she smiles at him. She soaks a piece of her bread in her stew and shoves it in her mouth and his expression looks a little horrified but he follows suit, and so their lessons begin.

 

Rey has a very set routine, and she finds that Ben seems to fit in with it seamlessly. Every morning they collect eggs and whatever produce they can find, and each afternoon, Rey sets him to doing some tasks - one day it’s chopping wood while she’s mending bows, another day they climb up onto the roof to mend the holes there. She finds he’s much better with the physically intensive tasks like these, rather than the small, detail oriented work like mending nets and restringing bows, but her repairs go quickly. Every evening, they learn languages from each other, and while his accent doesn’t go away, he learns enough to converse with the villagers, and she deems him ready to speak with people other than her.

 

It’s one night, as they both lay in her bed, she notices he’s very stiff until he falls asleep, and she turns on her side to face him, propping her head up on one arm and seeing him turn his head to look at her. “Why do you do that?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“You’re so careful not to touch me. We’re sharing a bed, I expect we’re going to bump into each other from time to time. You’re much too big for this bed.”

 

“Rey, you’re doing me a great kindness, sharing your space with me like this. You treat me better than all the slaves I’ve seen, we share meals together, and you’re teaching me how to communicate with people who aren’t as worldly as you, so I don’t starve if you get sent away again. I do not want to disrespect you by invading your space, or worse, sullying you for your future husband.”

 

With a laugh, Rey rolls over and straddles him, her hands braced on his stomach as she looks down at him. “This isn’t like where you’re from, Ben. I can do whatever I might like with whomever I please.” Smirking, she leans down, her hair falling in a halo around their faces. “And who would try to stop me? I’m a shield-maiden. Besides, you’re not a slave, remember?”

 

She notices Ben goes stiff as a board beneath her, and she frowns, shifting to sit back and that’s when she notices he’s gone hard between her legs, although he’s keeping himself extremely still. “Have I offended you somehow?”

 

“I am not used to such impropriety.”

 

With a huff, Rey rolls off of him and back onto the bed. “Well I did not mean to sully you, then,” she spits the new word she’s learned back at him. “I’ll keep my savage ways to myself from now on.” She slips back between the blankets, turning away from him before tucking the blankets under her chin. Ben opening his mouth to speak is audible, but she’s already closed her eyes, and she hears him sigh before settling down for the night.

 

The next few days are tense, at best. He still follows her obediently as he learns the chickens favorite places to lay eggs, and he still helps her with preparing meals, and she still has to make him clothes. He gives up his shirt so she can imitate the size it is with some of the linen, in turn making a couple of woolen jackets and tunics that would go over them. She calls to him once she finishes the first set so he can try it on, and once they’ve determined it fits, she sends him away again. 

 

She ignores the fact that he seems to look upset by being sent away, and the disappointment that their lessons no longer contain the laughter and questions, instead only perfunctory phrases he needs to learn, as she’s set aside the books.

 

Rey has to get him to stand for her as she fits material around his other pants to gauge the size she needs to make them. He blushes profusely but doesn’t fuss or squirm as she fits them around his thighs, her hand brushing against his groin merely due to the proximity needed. She takes pity on him for a moment, as he was probably used to a man doing this, but he never fusses, and she assumes it’s due to his need of more than one set of clothing. She makes him try the pants on when she’s finished and she eyes them critically before handing him his other pants to change back into so she can make more following the same pattern.

 

A child comes to her home while she’s mending nets out in the late afternoon sunshine, twine wrapped around her wrist. The child let her know there was to be a meeting that evening, and she sends him off with an apple she’d brought out to eat as a snack. Grabbing her supplies, she heads back into her home, setting the nets out carefully to make sure she didn’t tangle them, and she heads to the back of her property where the stream is, spotting Ben crouched on the bank, scrubbing at their clothing like she’d shown him earlier.

 

“I have a meeting, I’ll be back afterwards.” She ignores the way he frowns at her and goes to clean herself up and make herself look more like the warrior she’s supposed to be, despite feeling less like herself. Slipping her legs into the worn breeches, she makes a mental note to make herself a new set when she gets back from whatever raid she’s certain to be set on, the shirt and tunic masking her body until she belts her waist, attaching the small axe and knife she always carries. Ben comes in just as she’s pulling her hair into her signature three buns, forgoing the braids she wears on raids, and she looks up at him before pulling some bread out and setting it on the table. “Feel free to eat without me.” 

 

With no further preamble, she whistles loudly for her horse, attaching the bridle at his throat and throwing the reins to the back of his head before hoisting herself up and sitting astride, bareback. She leads him off into a trot, not bothering to look back at him.

 

Her mind wanders on the journey toward the village center - she wasn’t sure what she expected when she picked him out of the slaves, hoping maybe for companionship and a partner, but she sees now the line is clearly drawn by him. He is obedient in a way he does not need to be, and yet she will not force herself upon him again. With her mind made up that she made the right decision by freeing him - it was better to have him as a friendly companion than a mindless slave - she knows she should apologize for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation, no matter how she thought of him.

 

Names were being called for the next raid, and that’s when Rey notices she would be going on the next one, to no one’s surprise. She was the best element of surprise in such a god-fearing country, where their women were meek and mild-mannered, and she would come screaming out of the brush with her teeth bared and her legs visible. Smirking, she heads home with a lighter heart, and yet leaving Ben to fend for himself weighs heavily on her all the same. 

 

To her surprise, the bread is still in the middle of the table, and Ben dishes out two bowls when he spots her, sitting down at the table and looking at her as if to plead for her to join him. Perhaps, she muses, she was too quick to judge his distaste for her, and perhaps he enjoys her company after all. “Are you to go on another raid, then?”

 

“Yes. We leave at daybreak in two days’ time, so you are to stay here and tend the land.” She pauses, chewing on her mouthful of stew-soaked bread. “Should you choose to stay, of course.”

 

“I will.”

 

Those two words make Rey swallow thickly and she looks down at her bowl. “I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable with my physical advances. I do not understand the lands you come from, but if we are to live here together, I will try to respect your boundaries.”

 

She can see Ben look over at her, perhaps with a bewildered expression on his face, but she chooses to ignore it for the time being, instead shoveling more of the stew into her mouth. With this strange, temporary truce they have, they break out the childrens book from before and he works with her, side by side, to teach her to read.

 

The next day is tense, but for different reasons. She doesn’t care to leave him alone, but for some odd reason, he keeps following her around, even though he knows the routine. With him being so underfoot, she takes him to the village to pick up supplies to hold him over until she gets back, and she makes him speak to the villagers when they go to trade for items. She gets more than one shocked look, whether from his grasp of their language, or the fact that she’s flaunting him as a free man, she’s not sure.

 

It’s a successful trip, and Rey feels much more confident about leaving him to fend for himself. Upon their return home, she uses the remainder of the afternoon to sharpen her weapons and tighten the straps on her shield. Ben watches on with interest until she passes him her sword to sharpen, which he does wordlessly. Supper is quiet, and Rey makes sure to commend him on how well he did speaking to everyone. 

 

She can’t sleep, though, and she can tell by the rigid set of Ben’s body next to hers that he can’t either. Still, they try, and she finally gives up the fight at the first stirrings of light, rising and getting herself bundled into the same outfit she’d worn not two days prior. She feels herself falling into the same rituals she always does, but this time with Ben watching her in a companionable quiet. Her hair goes into braids, pulled back in her signature three sections, and she applies the black powder around her eyes carefully. Ben seems more intrigued by that, so she finally speaks in the quiet stillness of the morning.

 

“It helps keep me from being blinded by the sun.”

 

“You look like a warrior with it on.”

 

“Well, good, because I am.” Grinning, she stands, belting her tunic and placing her weapons along her sides, slinging her shield on her back and putting some of the extra bread and some dried meats into a bag to help feed herself on the journey. “Take care and try not to get kidnapped while I’m gone, Ben. This shouldn’t be a long raid.”

 

Even as she’s adjusting her shield on her back and stepping outside, he stops her with a hand on her arm. She turns her head to look up at his concerned expression, and turns to fully face him, confused now.

 

“Travel safely, and I hope you have a successful raid.”

 

She offers him a half-smile, her opposite hand coming to rest on his, and giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. “Do not worry for me. The gods are looking down on this day with favor.”

 

“I feel it too.” Assuming he means her statement about the gods, she tilts her head up to meet his gaze, surprised to find a tender look as his gaze flicks between her eyes. In a gentle gesture, she lifts her hand to touch her fingertips to his lips, then turns to walk to the village - there is no goodbye for them, but her heart soars, despite the distance she puts between them. 

 

The raids they complete during the few weeks they are away are full of food stores and treasures - no slaves this time, as they know with winter coming, it’s more mouths to feed. They lose nobody on this journey and the elated feeling she gets when she sees the coast only intensifies when she sees Ben standing in the crowd. The ships are unloaded quickly, and the feast in the hall is boisterous with the positive feelings coursing through everyone’s veins. 

 

As they leave, Ben takes her shield before she can, and she smiles up at him, surprised by the sight of their cart. He shrugs a shoulder before hefting the shield into the back and offering her a hand up, taking the long path by the river. It’s something she’s never had the liberty of doing, relaxing on her trip home, and so she sits by him in silence, her shoulder bumping his as he does little to direct the horse that knows the path as well as they do. Her little homestead is lit only by the central fire, but that cozy light is just enough to see where she’s going, and she strips down with little preamble, intending to wash herself three or four times over.

 

It surprises her when she hears Ben drop into the water near her, wading over to where she’s scrubbing her skin until it’s glowing pink even in the moonlight. He holds out his hand for the soap she’s gripping, and she passes it to him curiously, more surprised by his change of heart than the tentative, gentle touch on her back and shoulders as he washes the spots she can’t reach. His fingers are gentle as they untangle her hair, washing it a second time after her cursory scrubbing. 

 

Rey can’t remember a single time she’s been cared for like this - her parents died when she was young, and while she’s certain they cared for her, this is a completely different sensation for her. Her nerves must get the better of her as his touch gets more sure, urging her to lean back so he can rinse her hair, because she blurts out the first thing that pops into her mind. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

 

“I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating, but I really want for nothing here, save for maybe your company.” His voice is quiet, and she turns in the water to look at him, trying to discern his meaning - the blush that spreads across his cheeks tells her he intends it the way she’s interpreting it. Her own surprise must be evident, as his hand lifts away from her shoulder to gently brush the back of his fingers against her cheek.

 

She turns to fully face him, standing out of the water and not missing the way Ben’s eyes dip lower, to her exposed breasts. This time, however, he doesn’t turn away; instead the blush on his cheeks intensifies, and Rey smiles at him, lifting a hand out of the hot water to trail her fingertips up one of his arms and giving him plenty of time to back away.

 

He doesn’t.

 

With a confidence she didn’t know he possessed, he slips his hand into the hair at the nape of her neck, urging her just a little closer with gentle pressure before his head dips and their lips meet for the first time. It’s hard to justify the elation she feels, but her hands tentatively slide down his chest, afraid to scare him away with too forward a move. It appears as though her fears are unfounded, however, and he draws her closer with a hand curling around her waist, and it’s then that she realizes just how much bigger he is, because his hand slides around to span the small of her back.

 

Rey takes that as a positive thing, however, and she rises up onto her toes to connect their mouths again, one hand sliding up to tangle in his hair while her other hand traces a slow path down his stomach. Both of his hands find her hips and he tugs her flush against him, and she blushes at the realization that he’s hard without her ever touching him. His shaft slides easily against her stomach and he groans softly when her fingers curl around his length. She strokes him slowly and it only takes a few moments before he reaches down with both hands, hooking the backs of her thighs and hauling her out of the water easily. Curling her hands around his shoulders, she clings to him as he steps out of the spring and walks with her into the house, her own center smearing wetly against his stomach where he’s pulled her against him. Being handled like she weighs nothing, carried like child - it never occurred to her that she might enjoy it, but here she is, more turned on than she can ever remember being, all because he’s showing off his strength without straining.

 

Depositing her as gently as he can on the bed, Rey settles back, her legs winding around his waist and trying to tug him back down to her. His chuckle rumbles against her chest as he kisses down her throat, hands skimming up her waist until his thumbs brush over her nipples, already peaked from the temperature change. She gasps softly when his mouth takes the place of one thumb, the contrast from the cool air outside to the heat of his mouth, and the talent of his tongue shooting pleasure straight to her core, and her fingers tangle into his hair.

 

Even as he switches breasts, his hands aren’t still. While one braces his weight against the bed, the other slowly trails up her thighs, a hesitant touch until she rocks her hips impatiently and his fingers finally make contact with her wet slit, and his head ducks to look at his hand. A part of Rey finds this adorable, his sudden curiosity, but there’s a bigger part of her that wants to keep things moving. One of her own hands joins his, gently urging him to slide one of his fingers inside of her, and she moans encouragingly when he obliges. One finger becomes two, and her hips rock against his hand of their own accord until she’s had enough of this teasing, and uses her legs as leverage, pushing one of his shoulders with a twist of her legs, flipping them over so she’s straddling his hips, even though his fingers are still curling inside of her. She removes his hand, shifting until she’s sliding along his length, her own slickness making the motion easy when she braces her hands against his stomach.

 

Once his hips start rocking against hers in a matching rhythm, she lets the tip catch just inside of her and sinks back slowly, her head rolling backwards as she feels herself stretching to accommodate him. His answering gasp is all the answer she needs, even though his hands are gripping her hips tight enough to bruise, and she finally looks down at him once he’s fully seated inside of her. He’s got a blissed out expression, his gaze unable to tear away from where their bodies are joined, and so she starts rocking her hips like she was before, slowly, and stopping just as the head catches inside of her. He presses deep within her when she sits back, and the slow  _ slip-catch-sink-press _ leaves her clenching around him. She speeds up just a little, leaning back slightly and moaning as that same motion pushes perfectly into whatever leaves her feeling so good, and his shaky gasps tell her it’s something he’s enjoying as well. 

 

It doesn’t take long before she’s got a familiar pressure building low in her stomach, and her hand moves from bracing herself to the small bud between her legs, and she notices Ben watching her. She grins down at him slightly as her fingers circle the small pearl, a gasp forcing her mouth to fall open and she stops teasing him - and herself - and sets a moderate pace. The man beneath her seems content enough to let her use his body for her own pleasure, his hands sliding up and down her thighs idly as he watches her, and after a few moments she peaks, crying out softly as she pulses around him. 

 

She notices his hips buck against hers, his hands gripping her hips as he grinds her down against him until he goes slack beneath her, and she stretches her body along his, enjoying the feel of him still filling her for the time being. His hands come to rest on her back, idly stroking her skin, and she presses soft kisses to his chest and throat until he tilts his head down enough to press their lips together with a small smile. They both shudder when he slips out of her, and at that point they shuffle around in the bed to get under the covers, and yet he pulls her to him so her head can rest on his chest until they fall asleep.

 

The next day, Rey rises later than normal and finds Ben preparing breakfast for them both. She slips into a clean linen dress, binding some of her hair back from her face, and joins him in the kitchen, just to receive a soft kiss on the forehead from him. The relief she feels that he’s not shying away from her now, especially after last night, is almost palpable as he hands her some fruit. 

 

Their morning is quiet and content, stealing soft kisses as she prepares what few items she’s had the time to repair and loading them into the cart, and Ben portions out the produce - some for their use, and some to trade in town. Even their ride to the village is easygoing and pleasant as she bites into an apple and Ben smiles, leaning over to thumb some of the juice away from her chin. She feels relaxed and happy, as she hasn’t been in a long time, and thinks nothing of leaning her head on his shoulder until a rock in the road jostles her head with a vicious bounce.

 

What surprises her is their arrival to town and Ben’s immediate switch back into the sullen thing she dragged around a few weeks ago. And yet he was free to move about as he pleased - and did so, having gained an effortless way with his communication in the time she’d been gone. With sudden clarity, she realizes he’s doing his best to avoid being too close to her, and the thought sours in her stomach. Straightening herself up, she resumes the other half of their tasks and trades out broken items and repaired nets, loading them into the cart carefully even while Ben barters for their food. It’s not long before he returns and they head back, and Ben looks over at her curiously, but she wants to wait until they’re home before she corners him about her concerns. They unload the cart, and she waits until he’s putting away the last of the dried meats before she sits on the table and finally speaks.

 

“Are you ashamed of what we did?”

 

“No?” His surprise actually comes as a surprise to her, so his puzzled frown catches her off guard.

 

“Then why did you withdraw from me? I thought maybe things were changing between us since I came back - you met me at the shore, you bathed with me, you-”

 

“You’re not wrong, things have changed between us. I thought for the better.” Ben draws nearer to her and Rey leans back, still not sure why he keeps changing his behavior toward her.

 

“Then why did you act so shamed? Did I cause you shame? Is it because we are not man and wife?”

 

“I thought you would be ashamed of me, honestly. I didn’t think I should show such familiarity with you.”

 

It’s then Rey realizes what this is all about and she can’t restrain the bark of laughter that escapes her. “You think I’m ashamed because I chose to share my body with a free man? You should hear people gossip about how easily you’ve taken to our way of life. This isn’t like where you are from, Ben. Even if you were a slave, I am free to share my body with whomever I wish.” Ben draws closer and Rey reaches out to tug him between her legs where they dangle idly off the table. “You are the talk of the town. How easily you learned the way we speak, how quickly you gained our trust, how well you and I work together. You are perfect, if only you would change your Christian ways.” With a grin, she tilts her her head up to receive a kiss from him only to have him stiffen in her embrace, and she leans back again to get a better look at his face. “I’ve already corrupted you by having my wicked way with you once already, and I was hoping to repeat it in the near future.” 

 

“It’s… I won’t change my ways. I am Christian, my faith is in the one true God.”

 

Rey laughs in disbelief and shakes her head at him. “Where was your God when you were getting captured?”

 

“It was the will of the Lord. The Lord blessed me after all, as you didn’t enslave me, but freed me.”

 

That statement causes Rey to snort and with that, Ben pulls away from her, muttering something about needing to check the stew. Her head is spinning with how quickly his mood changed yet again and she makes a mental note to lay off his religion in the future. Supper is served quickly and they eat in silence, Ben pulling out the bible they hadn’t touched other than his first night, and he moves to read by firelight while Rey washes up and gets ready to sleep.

 

She’s more than a little surprised to find him lying on the floor in front of the fire the next morning and pushes at him with her foot until he wakes. “If lying next to me is such a terrible thing, I will make you a bed to sleep.” Not waiting around to wait for a response, she walks outside to collect her weapons, knowing they need a good sharpening and that Ben can conduct the morning chores without her. Finding a patch of sunlight that has already dried the dew off the ground, she sits cross legged, laying her sword over her lap and smoothing over the edge of the blade with her stone.

 

When Ben’s shadow falls across her lap, she looks up at him, surprised to see him out here. “I need to finish this first, I’ll make your bed after my weapons are done.”

 

“I’m here to apologize.”

 

“Save your breath.” Rey looks down, swiping the stone over the edge of the blade. Holding it up to check how honed the edge is, she swings it experimentally and then aims it upwards at Ben. “I just want to know, is it because I don’t believe in your god? What makes what we did such a bad thing to you?” She rises onto her feet and that’s when Ben takes a step back from her, his eyes on the blade. “Is it because I’m not English, like your women? Quiet and mousy and covered? I’m a savage?” She bares her teeth at him in a poor recreation of how they actually met. Watching as Ben’s eyes flick between her and the blade aimed at his chest, she maintains her stance - less to intimidate, more to serve as a reminder that she’s not a frail, weak woman.

 

Finally noticing she won’t lower the blade, Ben ducks his head, mumbling something like a sullen child might. Rey strains to hear him but huffs when she can’t, waiting for him to repeat himself. He looks away and rakes a hand through his hair before turning back to her. “I never thought I would sleep with a woman who wasn’t my wife.”

 

“You’re married?” Rey finally drops her stance, swinging her sword up to rest on her shoulder.

 

“No, of course not. I just thought that would be an act I would commit to with my wife, when I had one. I never thought I would sleep with a woman out of wedlock. I was reading half the night last night to find some sort of guidance or forgiveness for what we’ve done.”

 

Rey has to bite her cheek to keep from laughing, instead taking a deep breath - at least he’s as devout in his faith as she is in hers. “And did you find what you were looking for?”

 

“Very little. Most of the passages were about already being married and committing sin afterwards.”

 

“If that’s all you’re worried about, I suppose we could get married.” Rey shrugs a shoulder and sits back down, setting her sword off to the side and picking up her dagger this time.

 

“It - “ Ben stops short, clearly trying to hold the same level of civility she is about the differences in their religions. “I don’t want the reason we marry to be because we enjoy each others bodies.”

 

“That seems as good a reason as any. I enjoy your company, as well.”

 

“We hardly know each other.”

 

“Your country does arranged marriages, does it not? I don’t think we’re doing too badly, considering.”

 

“They do, but that’s not the point.”

 

“I fail to see a difference, but you’re the one stuck on marriage. I’m content with how we are now.”

 

“Then allow me to apologize for my overreaction last night. I’m still coming to terms with the differences between how we live.”

 

“You have farmers and fishermen and hunters?”

 

“Of course, but that’s not what I mean and you know it.” Ben sits next to her on the grass, grabbing her hatchet and one of the smaller whetstones she brought out, methodically starting to sharpen the blade.

 

Rey smiles to herself even as the only sound between them is the stones sharpening and honing blades, but as she looks over at him, folded up like she is, it warms her. He could have gone off and done whatever he wanted with his time, but instead, he chose to sit with her. “Would you want to teach me more about the way you Englishmen fight? I have some old blades that can’t be repaired we could use for practice.”

 

“I think that might be fun. After we finish this, of course.”

 

The rest of their afternoon is filled with laughter and explanations of various techniques both of them use - Rey shows him the moves she used to disarm him, and he shows her the defensive techniques the soldiers are trained to use. One particularly clever move has her knocking him down despite their size difference, and Rey straddles him and pins him down with a grin, tossing her sword to the side.

 

“I yield.”

 

“You have no choice, as I am the clear victor.”

 

“Arguable, as now I have a beautiful woman on top of me.” Ben smiles back up at her and Rey releases his arms, instead leaning down further to connect their lips, releasing his hands to cup his face. Whatever qualms he might have had seem to have been forgotten as his hands slide up her thighs and encircle her waist until he pushes himself up onto one elbow. His other hand reaches up to tangle in her hair, pulling her closer and she can feel him getting hard between her legs. Even as she reaches down to fumble with the ties at his waist, he helps by tugging her dress up a little higher, exploring the exposed skin of her legs even as she sinks onto his length with a gasp. Rey has no qualms about sharing their bodies as they do, and even as she raises and lowers herself on him, he seems content to let this happen. This isn’t rushed, just slowly learning each other, even with the rocks digging into her knees.

 

Ben takes it upon himself to sit up further, holding her close as he switches their positions, laying her back gently before resuming the easy pace she’d set earlier. The new angle has her gasping, and even as he captures her mouth in another kiss, she slips her hand between them to chase the higher pleasure she felt when she was on top. He sits back and she watches as his gaze drops to where they’re joined and smirks to herself, until he changes the angle of his thrust, which leaves her crying out and clenching around him as she peaks suddenly. Her hand clenches at his hip, at the ground, his knee, whatever’s beneath her hand as her back arches and she clamps down around him and he bows low over her as his hips jerk against hers a few times. 

 

Ben holds himself up, even with his face pressed to her neck, and she reaches a hand up to run her fingers through his hair as they catch their breath. He flops over to her side, sprawling onto his back and Rey laughs a little breathlessly, following him by rolling onto her own side and propping her head up to look over at him. 

 

“I am in no way complaining, but where did that come from?” He reaches down to tuck himself away, flopping back down on the ground once he’s finished, and Rey uses that time to tug her dress down just a little further, although most of her legs are still exposed to the sun.

 

“Seemed like a fun way to celebrate a victory, no?”

 

“I like how you think.” Ben rolls onto his side again, extending his hand to curl around the back of her neck and press his lips to hers gently. “You should probably clean up and I’ll start cleaning up the yard. We’ve made quite a mess out here.” He stands and extends a hand down to her and she accepts gratefully, feeling a little boneless after everything they’ve done. 

 

“I think we should do this again tomorrow. I learned quite a bit from you.” Ben just chuckles and wraps and arm around her shoulders, and Rey relaxes again - he’s comfortable with her once again and she can’t help but be content with that.

 

“Then we shall do this again tomorrow.”

 

And for a few blissful days, that’s what they do - evenings are spent reading, writing, and learning, their mornings are full of chores, and Rey splits her afternoons between mending and repairing items, and learning fighting techniques from Ben, all for them to fall into bed together at the end of the night. Sometimes they’re too exhausted to do much more than rest a hand on the other, but other nights are full of passion while they learn each other’s likes and dislikes. 

 

The announcement that there is another meeting comes as a bucket of ice water to the happy bubble Rey has been living in. Ben goes with her, and while the announcement of a raid would normally make everyone happy, Rey’s not the only one angry with the decision. She is just wise enough to keep her mouth shut as her name is listed and Ben’s hand finds her own under the table. 

 

She can hear others’ complaints -  _ the first frost hasn’t hit yet, but it will be any day now,  _ and  _ he’s mad if he thinks they won’t be expecting us to land on that shore _ \- but as she and Ben make their way back home with their fingers interlocked, Rey resigns herself to this life. She’s pledged her loyalty to the earl, she will go where he asks, and he’s treated her fairly once she proved her worth as a shield-maiden. With Ben to look after her home while she’s gone, there’s nothing for her to worry over, and Ben takes her silence in stride, for which she’s grateful.

 

He’s tender with her that night, helping her bathe and pleasuring her with his fingers and tongue before entering her slowly, cradling her against him. She feels cherished in his embrace, which is a new feeling not just for her, but for them, and she realizes that maybe, just maybe, things might turn out alright in spite of their differences.

 

She falls asleep on his chest and wakes up feeling content in a way she didn’t expect, and it hits her that she’s more than just fond of this stranger - she’s truly grown to have feelings for him. It makes sense now why she was so bothered that he was upset with her, and instead of being frightened of the reality of the situation, she feels better knowing that about herself.

 

The morning they leave for the raid, Ben goes with her to see them off. Rey doesn’t want him to shy away from her, so before she wades into the water to climb into the boat, she tugs him down by his shirt to connect their lips, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth for a moment while her cohorts catcall and whistle. When she pulls away, Ben keeps her close for a moment, and she can feel the traces of the grin curling his lips as he lowers his forehead to rest against hers. When she wades into the water, he calls out flawlessly in her native tongue to come back with her shield or on it, and everyone around who hears this cheers loudly, and she grins back at him when she sees his own embarrassed half-grin. 

 

She refuses to look back once they set sail.

 

The raids are hard - she gets injured far more than she would like, breaks her shield and has to steal one from a dead companion, loses her favorite dagger in the armor of one of her enemies, gets an arrow high in her shoulder that makes it a strain to hold her shield high enough. They give themselves a few days of rest before resuming their attacks with renewed fervor and even Rey feels the aggravation bubbling around her, that they’re here solely based on the greed of the man they’ve sworn their lives to. 

 

They succeed, but just barely. 

 

The journey home is difficult against the North winds, and they encounter more than one winter storm while out on the open water. Several people die due to the wet chill and the fevers that follow, and it’s with heavy hearts they finally approach their home shores. She can see Ben, dark hair and taller than many people standing at the shore to receive them, and she finally feels lighter, and a smile finally crosses her face after so many weeks away. There is snow on the ground here, finally, and the water is frigid when they wade the rest of the way to shore, but the fires are roaring indoors where their riches are piling up for the last time this year. Ben already has his cloak wrapped around her, an arm around her shoulders and his hand rubbing her arm lightly to provide some further warmth from friction.

 

They collect what spoils they are allowed once the feast is over, and Rey offers Ben his cloak back before he shakes his head and tells her he’ll be fine for the ride home. He waits until they’re well away from the village before finally speaking again.

 

“Why do you keep going on these raids?”

 

“I’ve sworn my service to him.”

 

“The real reason.” Rey can feel his gaze on her and she sighs softly.

 

“I don’t want to starve over the winter. I can hunt small game, but anything large, I can’t carry. By the time I make multiple trips, another animal may have gotten it and I’m not going to kill anything scavenging to survive.”

 

Ben is quiet for a few long moments before he speaks again. “You know you’ve got me, now.”

 

Rey only nods before allowing herself to lean against him. He says nothing, but she thinks he might have missed her, too.

 

He wastes no time unloading the cart, carrying everything inside in just one load, and Rey releases the horse from the harness attaching him to the cart. By the time he’s fed and she makes it inside, Ben is on her, his hands trembling slightly as he cups her face and connects their lips for a few gentle kisses before he starts to remove her outerwear.

 

Rey is more than a little surprised by how forward he’s being, but with the gentle touch of his hands and the desperation she feels in his barely-restrained kisses, she feels cherished, and her own hands curl in the fabric of his tunic in return. He releases her with a shaky breath, pressing soft, barely-there kisses to the corner of her mouth and just under her eye, his hands working to undo the thick clothing she’s wearing to ward off the cold. She realizes after a few moments that he’s got the fire absolutely blazing, warming the chill not just out of the house, but out of her, and by the time he’s stripped her bare, she barely notices the temperature.

 

Ben strips his own clothes off, leaving them on the floor where he stands, and extends a hand out to her, drawing her close for another soft kiss before he leads her to where he’s kept himself busy - the hot spring is enclosed now, and he’s created a sort of bath-house around it. The walkway is cool, but between the steam rising off the water and the roaring fire behind her, it’s tolerable. She offers him a smile when he looks at her questioningly, and his answering smile warms her from the inside.

 

They slip into the water, Ben reaching up to pull one of the wrapped bars down off a shelf near her head and she submerges herself willingly, basking in the heat of the water. Like the last time she came home from a raid, he washes her with a tender touch, more sure of himself than before, and he spends time carefully untangling her hair after it’s been rinsed clean. She snags the soap from him before he can start washing himself, though, and instead she urges him lower so she can provide the same treatment - the fact that she finally gets to map all the hints of muscle she’s seen time and time again is just an added perk.

 

His hand on hers stops her thorough exploration-washing when her fingers brush against his length, already hard with the barest touch. He sets the soap at the edge of the shelf he drew it from, pressing nearer to her once again, and cups the back of her neck with one hand as he ducks his head to connect their lips.

 

Rey is more than happy to reciprocate the kiss, her own hands coming up to tangle in the dark hair that hangs down and tickles her cheek. His other hand pulls her flush against him, and despite the bow of her back, she finds herself willingly bending to his whim, intrigued by this surge of confidence he seems to have grown over the course of her absence.

 

It comes as a bigger surprise when he hauls her up with two hands hooked under her thighs, holding her up effortlessly as she winds her legs around his waist, the tip of his erection brushing against her folds. Her ability to think rationally is overwhelmed by all of her senses being wrapped up in him, and she doesn’t notice him walking back into their home until she’s lowered onto the soft furs of their bed. He starts pressing kisses along her jaw and throat, his fingers finding their way between her legs to stroke along her slit while his lips brush against one of her nipples. Tightening her hold on him, she tries to pull him back up her body.

 

His look of confusion would be endearing, but she only tugs him back down to her mouth, nipping at his lip before trying to position him back between her legs. “I just want you,” she murmurs, and he pauses for a moment before complying. The stretch of him filling her slowly causes her back to arch, but the feeling of fullness that follows is perfect. His pace is unhurried, leaving plenty of space for her hands to wander across his chest, the muscles of his upper back, along his arms, and she hums in appreciation. She pulls him back down to connect their lips again and he obliges for a few moments before the awkward bow of his back forces him to push himself up again.

 

This is a pace she can manage, so with a push of her hips and a hand to his shoulder, they land back on the bed with her on top. The newfound freedom with his hands allows him to skate work-worn palms along her sides, thumbs tracing the curve of her breasts as she rocks her hips. He pushes himself up with one hand, his other hand sliding up to curl around the top of her shoulder, holding her down to him. The position he’s holding them in presses her clit against him as well and she understands suddenly as pleasure licks at the base of her spine.

 

She winds her arms around his shoulders, connecting their lips even as he releases her and she chases the pleasure that follows from this new angle. His hand wanders even as she whimpers, the light touch almost soothing until his hand reaches up to thread into the hair at the back of her head. He pulls just enough to tilt her head back, and his lips mouth the pulse under her jaw and along her throat. Rey is surprised by the sudden rush of pleasure that leaves her trembling on him, her orgasm a shock - she’s used to more effort for a sharper, more intense feeling, but this one is a rolling wave that leaves her sated and content. 

 

His hand slides out of her hair and supports her back as he flips them over again, Rey’s legs winding around his waist. Rey runs her fingers through his hair, leaning up like he did to nip at his jaw and ear, and he comes with a muffled cry of her name, panting against her shoulder for a moment. He manages to roll them to their sides, and while he slips out with a gasp, she presses close to him, his arms winding around her.

 

A thought occurs to her, and while she thinks he might be asleep, she asks it anyways, voice soft. “Do you think you might ever want to come with me?”

 

Ben pulls his head back to peer at her through sleepy eyes before rolling onto his back with a sigh and tugging her with him. “If I ever get on another boat, it will be to go home with you as my wife.”

 

This time, Rey pulls her head back to frown down at him, even though she doesn’t pull away from the warmth of his body. “You are my home. Besides, I couldn’t be one of those ladies that I saw, could you imagine me all covered up in fancy clothing and being all,” struggling for a moment to think of the word she wants to use, Rey snorts, “mousy?”

 

“I want you as you are, fierce, independent, vocal. But I would find you the best material to dress you, maybe we could get our hands on some silks. And you’re not Christian, I wouldn’t expect you to cover your hair.” To prove his point, he runs his fingers through her hair with a soft smile. “I want to give you everything.”

 

“I have everything I want right here.” With a small smile, Rey leans down to kiss him gently and he smiles when she pulls away. “I don’t know what you were, but if you want to rule people and have plenty of lands, why not fight the current earl? You’re a very strong swordsman when you’re not just trying to defend yourself.”

 

“Why haven’t you? You’re a better fighter than I am.” 

 

With a small chuckle, Rey shakes her head. “I don’t want the greed that comes with it. I like having enough to live comfortably, but that responsibility is too much for a nobody like me.”

 

“You’re not, you know. Not to me. But what would you do if people pledged their rings to you?”

 

“I wouldn’t accept. Sweet as you are, it’s the truth, and I have no right to usurp.”

 

“Well, since you brought this all up, what if I did pledge my loyalty and go on raids like you do?”

 

Rey pushes herself to a sitting position, concern etched into her features. “What are you talking about?”

 

“You suggested it. What if I did go with you? What if I pledged myself to this earl of yours and went on raids with you?” Ben’s hand smooths down her back but Rey isn’t comforted like she usually is by his touch, yet he continues quickly. “I’m sure whatever home I had before is no longer standing, so if this is my home - you are my home - then why don’t I commit like you’re asking me to?”

 

“Ben, no. You’re doing this just to appease me, and I love coming home and having you here. It was a stupid thought that I never should have brought up in the first place.”

 

“It’s not stupid. Many men bring their wives to help at the base camp, do they not? So in theory I could go, regardless if I bore the same ring you did.”

 

“I cannot deny I miss you while I’m gone, but this,” she gestures between them, trying to find the right word, “this is you still trying to make me happy when you already do. You’ve assimilated yourself into my life, filled in the gaps where I did not realize I had any.”

 

“Rey, you treated me like a human being with dignity, unlike some of the other men that were enslaved. You fed me, you went out of your way to make clothing for me, you took me into your home, into your bed, into your body,” he blushes and Rey smiles at him, stroking down his chest. “Rey, you have done so much for me, even beyond the physical. I’ve learned how to be happy with what’s around me, instead of just being angry or jealous of others with more. I’ve learned a new language, learned about your gods. I find solace in a hard day’s work. This is all new to me, and it’s all thanks to you.”

 

Rey reaches to idly toy with one of the curls near his face, not sure how to respond - she’s never been complimented in a way that she has nothing to say to refute any of it. “Thank you, Ben. It’s sweet of you, but-”

 

“No buts. I want a band like you have. I want to pledge myself to you.” His hand finds the metal around her wrist, tracing around it and giving her goosebumps where his fingertips brush against her skin.

 

“That’s basically marriage, you realize that, right?”

 

“You make a joke out of marriage every time it comes up, but you take your pledge seriously. This is my way of letting you know I’m serious.”

 

Blushing, Rey leans down and presses her lips to his, fingers tracing his jaw. “I accept.” She can feel his smile against her lips, and he tugs her back down against him before rolling them so he’s back between her legs, and she grins up at him.

 

Winter is harsh, but the next spring comes around and leaves heavy fog over the water long into the morning, a perfect way to conceal all the ships about to reach the shores. Reaching down, she idly traces the new bracelet around her wrist - bronze, to be flexible, but strong all the same. A second set of fingers traces it as well and she turns her head to look at Ben. “We’re almost there. Can you feel it?”

 

“It’s exhilarating.” She knows the feeling - that anxious energy high in her belly, the anticipation of what’s to come, the excitement of the pending battles. The horn sounds from the ship ahead of them as buildings start to appear through the mist, and Rey’s eyes scour high to look for archers before they reach the shores. It’s their first raid together, and Rey smiles wryly - they aren’t returning to his home, but she did become his wife after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to thank everyone who made it to the end of this little passion project of mine! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it, and while it's complete, I wouldn't mind playing in this sandbox again if anyone's got a scene they'd absolutely love to see.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at diaryofmusings


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